Seeking to boost bilateral trade, India and Pakistan on Saturday decided to have a non-discriminatory market access programme, keep Wagha-Attari border open 24 hours throughout the year and facilitate the opening of bank branches in each other’s country, reports Times of India. ‘We have agreed that we will open Wagha-Attari border for trade 24X7…Central banks of the two countries in principally agreed to give banking licences to banks nominated by respective governments,’ Indian commerce and industry minister Anand Sharma said at a press conference he held jointly with his Pakistani counterpart Khurram Dastagir Khan.
Meeting after a gap of 16 months, the commerce ministers of the two nations have agreed to have a NDMA on reciprocal basis.
Although the NDMA falls short of the expectations of a Most-Favoured Nation status which India has been insisting on for long, Sharma said, ‘It is not the first time that such a terminology is used’.
Khan, who is in Delhi on an official visit, said: ‘Let us not (get) stranded on nomenclature.’
-With New Age input
